SenAm Games: Munich-based Indie Developer With Literary Aspirations

The Munich-based studio SenAm Games combines socially relevant narratives with bold creativity. The team led by founder Senad Hrnjadovic focuses on diversity, artistic flair, and playful journeys of discovery.

Its own indie titles, but also educational games for external clients – this is the niche in which the Munich-based development studio SenAm Games has been thriving for seven years now. While gameplay takes center stage for many indie developers, SenAm Games’ titles are notable for their love of storytelling.

The studio’s visual novels are artistically sophisticated, cinematically staged, and professionally voiced. The stories themselves are also designed to challenge rather than merely entertain. Social issues play an important role, as founder Senad Hrnjadovic reveals in an interview: “We want to address topics that are socially relevant. We want to make games that have something to say.”

Hauma: Munich as a stage

 Hauma is the debut work from SenAm Games. Released in 2023, this narrative detective adventure takes players through authentic Munich locations and combines an exciting story with historical references and social themes. The game tells the story of Judith, a once-successful investigator who follows a mysterious network in Munich’s circles of power, visiting real locations such as the Frauenkirche, the Haus der Kunst, and the Oktoberfest. “Hauma features real locations in Munich. Players can get to know these places and thus German culture.”

However, the locations not only reflect modern Munich, but also draw on mythological and historical folklore. The comic-inspired graphics of “Hauma” set the mood and support the narrative depth, both visually and in terms of content.

Hauma owes its unique style to an international team of artists, including a Polish comic book artist. From the outset, the team used the Godot Engine, whose open-source concept reflects the democratic team structure. Feedback from the community and Let’s Players has been overwhelmingly positive.

A comeback with a mission

SenAm Games was founded in 2018 by Senad Hrnjadovic, who returned to the gaming world after working in other industries. The first few years were spent rebuilding the company on a part-time basis. The initial vision was to develop meaningful games that go beyond pure entertainment. “We want to use games to convey topics that are socially relevant and meaningful to players,” summarizes Hrnjadovic.

The team works entirely remotely and is made up of regional and international members. Diversity is actively promoted—the conscious mix of different backgrounds and genders has already helped to avoid stereotypes in game design on several occasions.

The balance between commissioned work and projects close to my heart

Since indie projects rarely finance themselves, SenAm Games spends about half of its time working on commissioned productions, such as educational games, often in cooperation with institutions such as the Goethe-Institut. The studio benefits from its accumulated experience with narrative games. Often, there is also plenty of room for creative development within these commissioned projects.

Clients are often interested in conveying specific content, such as the German language or how to recognize fake news. However, elements such as the genre, game mechanics, setting, and characters are often developed and elaborated by SenAm Games.

The large gaming community in Bavaria and various subsidies are also essential for the studio: “Without the Bavarian ecosystem, we wouldn’t exist. Of course, this also includes subsidies. Without subsidies, there would be no game,” emphasizes Hrnjadovic. Although the team is spread across Europe, they are very well integrated in Munich. Support at events and trade fairs provides a lot of momentum in this regard. “SenAm Games would not exist at all without the Bavarian ecosystem. Of course, this also includes funding. Without funding, there would be no game,” says the studio founder.

A literary classic comes to life in a game

SenAm Games’ current project is based on Alexandre Dumas’ novel “The Three Musketeers.” In addition to its usual narrative strengths, the studio also wants to offer more action and the exploration of a 3D world. Paris is designed as a walkable metropolis and is intended to be historically authentic in terms of dialogue and setting. To this end, the SenAm team has conducted extensive research and consulted with a historian. “This also involves very mundane questions such as, ‘Were there sidewalks in 17th-century Paris?’. Only a historian can answer such questions,” explains Hrnjadovic.

This historical authenticity, which also characterizes Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed games, for example, is a major challenge. SenAm Games therefore collaborated with a concept artist from France who was able to gather visual impressions on site. Overall, the effort involved is greater than for “Hauma.”

Hrnjadovic also hopes this will give the game greater commercial reach: “I think the game has great potential. Many people are familiar with ‘The Three Musketeers’, so there is a high recognition factor.”

SenAm Games’ goal remains to develop exciting games and perhaps, at some point, to be able to survive solely on its own creative ideas. Hrnjadovic shares this vision with many other studios and developers in the industry. “I think all indies dream of being able to support themselves with their own games and continue developing games.” However, it is also important to him and his team to address socially relevant topics and convey them in a playful way by combining creativity, diversity, and technical innovation.